The family secret

6 - My name is Ava

Everyone had left. Her best friends Iggie and Charlotte were both on their summer holidays with their parents. Her brother left a few hours ago. She had nothing to do now. Ava hated to be alone. Sometimes she slept in her brother Julian's bed, just so she shouldn’t sleep alone. He didn't always let her, but she snook in a few times. He didn't have a girlfriend, so his left side of the bed was always free for her to sleep in. For the tenth time she looked at her phone. No, still no answer from Charlotte. Sure, she was Greece with her parents and the time difference made it hard to communicate, but she could at least answer her damn text.

A soft knock on the door, made her look up. Her mother was looking at her with pity. ‘Honey, I made lunch. Your dad is coming home soon and then you can both go to the city like you wanted. But first you have to eat.’ Her mother was always sweet, but Ava preferred her dad the most. When she walked with him by her side, it made her feel powerful and worthy. It made heads turn and paparazzi loved it to see them together. So, why bother to go shopping with your mother, when you have a powerful dad like him? He would buy everything she liked in a blink of an eye.

‘Okay.’ Ava walked downstairs and sat down at the table. Her mother made sandwiches, but without mayo for her. You can't be perfect when you eat mayo and get fat. As a cheerleader she had to be thin, healthy and strong. Her personal trainer told her to leave the mayo, so she did years ago. She ate the sandwich in silence. Her thoughts were never slow, until she got a text message:

Dad: Princess, we have to reschedule. Something came up.

She reads the text over and over. What was more important than her? Why did he always do this? Just then her brother Jaden sat on the table and asked her:

‘Hi, Ava. Any plans for today?’

‘No.’ she said harshly. She didn't even look up to him, afraid he saw her tears forming in her eyes.

‘Everything okay?’ he asked.

‘Just leave me alone.’ Ava pushed the chair backward and it almost fell over. She ran out of the room, before the tears streamed down her face. She found herself wandering around the garden and laid down in the grass. Her hands were hiding her face, while she cried. ‘Why does everyone leave me?’ She was feeling sad for herself. Of course, she had friends all over at school, but no friends she ever brought home afterward. Only Iggie and Charlotte were her friends before they even knew what a reality show was. They didn't like her because she was famous, they were friends because they liked each other. Now she had nobody. She wanted to hug someone. Why was her father not home? Why was he always gone? The thought of her brother’s best friend came to mind. Her crush. The boy she would want as her boyfriend. But he didn't like her that way. He only saw her as Julian's little sister. Nothing more, nothing less. He made it perfectly clear he didn't like her and her heart was broken. But, no matter what, she was willing to change his mind. He was going to be her boyfriend or even her husband if he asked her.

Ava didn't mind the warmth of the sun burning her skin. She liked summer. She liked to show of her body in tiny pieces of clothes, a bikini or a mini skirt for example. She liked it to get compliments for her beauty, for her body and her hair or make-up. Kelsey was like a big sister to her and taught her everything she knew. She went back inside the house.

‘Where are you going?’ her mother asked.

‘Shopping.’ she answered.

‘Is your dad coming?’

‘No.’

‘Would you like me to come with you?’

‘No, thank you mom. I won't stay away long. I'm just going to walk around the mall. Maybe I see some friends from school or something.’

‘Alright honey. Just text me if you there or when you want a ride home. I can ask Conner to bring you?’

That was actually a great idea. She hated to call a cap and now she had her personal driver. Conner was a security man and worked on the property. He was also a bodyguard and driver if you needed him to be one. He was really nice and had two children, she sometimes had to babysit.

Ava found a short blue dress from Tommy Hilfiger and some blue sandles with white beads. She bought the sandles in Barcelona last summer. Everyone was jealous of her and it made her feel loved and special. When she walked downstairs, Conner was already waiting for her.

‘Miss Weekland.’ he nodded to her.

‘Hi, Conner. How are the girls?’ she asked about his kids.

‘Great. They can't wait till next week though, when we go to New York for two weeks. They haven't seen their grandparents in six months.’

‘Awesome.’ Ava said. Of course, Conner would leave her two next week. She had to wait till the last two weeks of the summer holiday. Then, she and her whole family would go to Hawaii. She, Kelsey, Kendra, her parents and all of her brothers, Madi and Gus. How she should survive the first three weeks without any friends was a question she couldn't answer.

Conner drove her to the East-Lakers Mall. It was big and luxe. She put on her big sunglasses and headed to the entrance. She walked like she owned the place, like she belonged here. She saw people watching her. Maybe it was her outfit, maybe just because she looked rich or maybe they recognized her. Ava bought a small iced mocha latte at Starbucks and sat down at a bench. She liked to watch people. Sometimes she giggled at outfits or made a joke about fat people.

‘What was she thinking this morning?’

‘Did you ask me something?’ a boy next to her asked. He was cute, thought Ava. He had brown hair like her, put in a perfect model with some gel. He wore a light blue shirt and short jeans.

‘Oh, no I didn't. I was just thinking out loud.’ She blushed suddenly shy, because he heard her.

‘I think she thought this morning: Let's put on this ugly legging with a black thong, so everyone can see it. Why had nobody warned her before stepping outside?’

Ava couldn't hold it anymore and busted out in laughing. ‘That was exactly what I was thinking!’

They both laughed for a while. He gave her a warm smile. ‘You look familiar.’ he said.

‘Hmm.’ Ava took a sip of her drink. ‘I get that a lot.’

‘I have to go now, but I will see you around, I think. I’m almost always at the mall. So come find me if you want.’

Right when she tried to ask his name, he was already gone. She drank the last of her iced mocha latte and bought a simple white dress at one of the stores a few minutes later. She thought about the boy and why she should look for him. She didn't even know him or met him before. What did he want with her? She went into the Chanel shop, one of her favorite shops, to look for the purse she wanted. They didn't have it though. With a sad feeling, she walked out again, but was stopped by the owner.

‘Miss Weekland, can you come with me, please?’ the owner asked.

‘Why? Did you find the purse I asked you about?’ The sad feeling changed into a feeling of hope.

‘No, we did not.’ They walked to an office in the back of the shop. He opened the door and when they walked in, two security guards held a boy by his arms. ‘This boy tried to steel something from the store. He told us, you were only a distraction and his accomplice.’

‘What? I only sat next to him at Starbucks. I don't even know his name!’ Ava yelled in confusion.

The boy grinned. ‘Ava is my girlfriend, sir.’

And with that information, Ava was held by a security guard as well.